Senate panel expands school choice program

HARRISBURG - The scope of a school-choice program initially targeted for low-income students would expand within four years to include middle-income students under a bill approved Monday by a Senate panel.

The action by the Appropriations Committee to allow for "middle-class vouchers" sets the stage for Senate floor votes today and Wednesday on an issue that has gotten a new lease on life in a Republican-controlled statehouse.

The Senate vote looms as both opponents and supporters of school choice are at the Capitol this week. Proposed cuts in state aid to public schools have emerged as part of the state budget debate as the school-choice legislation has gained momentum this spring.

The school-choice legislation was introduced at the start of the year as a way to help low-income students in families of four earning $28,655 or less annually have more educational opportunities beyond their neighborhood public school.

The basic premise is that students would take the per capita state subsidy (often in the $8,000-$10,000 range) that goes to their school district and apply it as tuition to the public, private or parochial school of their choice.

The legislation would offer vouchers or scholarships to low-income students in nearly 150 failing public schools during the first year. These schools are rated among the bottom five percent academically by the state Education Department. None of these schools are in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

By the third year, all low-income students in the state regardless could participate regardless of what school they attend.

The appropriations panel added an amendment by a mainly party-line vote to provide vouchers or scholarships to students in families of four earning up to $67,000 annually. It's uncertain how many middle-class students would participate or how much money would be available down the line, said Sen. Jeffrey Piccola, R-15, Harrisburg, sponsor of the school-choice bill.

The amendment establishes a "middle-income scholarship program." Students would apply to a new state Educational Choice Board for the scholarship. In addition, public school districts could establish a tuition grant program of their own for students who want to attend another public school.

The panel defeated an amendment by Sen. John Blake, D-22, Archbald, to have choice students who attend a private or parochial school take the Pennsylvania State Standardized Assessment given periodically in public schools. That way there would be an equitable standard to measure academic performance, he added.

Requiring PSSA tests means those schools would have to offer the same curriculum as public schools, said Piccola in opposing the amendment. The bill would require those schools to have students take an assessment or nationally recognized achievement test.

Much of the debate over school choice has been about what level of state aid would be left for public schools if they lose the per capita subsidy because a student received a voucher or scholarship to attend another school.

"At a time when the governor is proposing a budget that would take away $1 billion from public schools in the coming year, we cannot afford this costly program to cuts that schools are already facing," said Bonita Hoke, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania.

rswift@timesshamrock.com

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